Can cruise ships be powered with dead fish? Norwegian line Hurtigruten is betting on it

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Unveiled in 2007, the 12,700-ton Fram is one of the newest and most modern expedition cruise ships sailing regularly to polar areas such as Antarctica and the Arctic destinations of Greenland and Spitsbergen. Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

The Fram has a large mud room on Deck 2 where passengers change into muck boots needed for wet landings from motorized rubber rafts. Muck boots are available for rent for 120 Norwegian kroner per week (about $15). Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

Located at the back of Deck 4, the Imaq Restaurant serves breakfast and lunch in a buffet style. Dinners vary between buffet seatings and table-served seatings depending on the ship's daily schedule of landings. Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

Near the Reception Desk on Deck 4 is a small computer center where passengers can surf the Internet for an extra charge. A caveat: The Internet is inoperable while the ship is in some polar regions. Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

The Polhogda lecture hall is the second of the ship's two lecture rooms. Often one hall is used for English lectures while the other features talks in German as many of the Fram's passengers come from German-speaking countries including Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

In what is billed as an effort to be eco-friendly, the bathrooms on the Fram aren't stocked with individual toiletries but instead have dispensers by the sink and in the shower that contain a single liquid that serves as both soap and shampoo. Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

Nearly two-thirds of the Fram's 128 cabins are Outside Cabins that feature a single bed and a separate sofa bed. The one shown here is slightly larger than normal as it is designed for disabled passengers. Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

In a nod to the rough seas that the Fram sometimes encounters on polar voyages, particularly during crossings of the Drake Passage to Antarctica, sea sickness bags are strategically located throughout the vessel. Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

A cruise line based in Norway just announced it soon would power some of its ships with dead fish. And, no, it wasn't joking.

Tromso, Norway-based Hurtigruten on Monday said it would become the first cruise operator in the world to power vessels using liquified biogas (LBG), a fossil-free, renewable fuel produced from dead fish and other organic waste.

Billed as an eco-friendly fuel, biogas already is used as fuel in small parts of the transport sector including buses, the company noted. The line's homeland of Norway and Northern Europe, which have large fishery and forestry sectors, produce a steady volume of the organic waste required to make the fuel, it added.

Hurtigruten said it planned to run at least six vessels using a combination of biogas, large battery packs and liquefied natural gas (LNG) by 2021. The company currently operates 17 ships with more on order.

"While competitors are running on cheap, polluting heavy fuel oil, our ships will literally be powered by nature," Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam said in a statement accompanying the announcement. "Biogas is the greenest fuel in shipping, and (its use in cruise ships) will be a huge advantage for the environment. We would love other cruise companies to follow."

Touting itself as the greenest of cruise lines, Hurtigruten also recently became the first cruise operator to ban single-use plastics on its vessels. It's planning to replace traditional diesel propulsion systems on several ships with power systems that use battery packs and gas engines.

Skjeldam has said the company's long-term goal is to operate all of its vessels emissions-free.

The biogas announcement comes as Hurtigruten prepares to unveil the world’s first battery-hybrid powered cruise ship, the Roald Amundsen. Named after the Norwegian explorer who was the first person to reach the South Pole, the vessel is being custom-built for sustainable operations in Antarctica and other pristine polar regions.

Hurtigruten has two more battery-hybrid powered cruise ships on order for delivery in 2020 and 2021.

Hurtigruten is known for "expedition-style" cruises in the Arctic and Antarctica as well as regular sailings up and down the Norwegian coast. It draws customers from around the world including North America.

A guide offers an introduction to Ny Alesund, a small mining outpost-turned-research station on the Arctic island of Spitsbergen that was used a as jumping off point during several expeditions to the North Pole. Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

Fram passengers during a tour of Ny Alesund, a small mining outpost-turned-research station on the island of Spitsbergen. In the background is a tower that held the airship used by explorer Roald Amundsen to reach the North Pole in 1926. Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

Unveiled in 2007, the 12,700-ton Fram is one of the newest and most modern expedition cruise ships sailing regularly to polar areas such as Antarctica and the Arctic destinations of Greenland and Spitsbergen. Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

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Named for the midnight sun, Hurtigruten's 638-berth, 16,000-ton MS Midnatsol carries cars, cargo and up to 1,000 passengers on a 1,330-mile journey along the Norwegian coast between Bergen in the southwest and Kirkenes, several hundred miles above the Arctic Circle near the Russian border. Laura Bly

The Midnatsol, seen here entering the port of Kjøllefjord, was launched in 2003 and is the newest of Hurigruten's three Millennium-class ships. It is one of 11 Hurtigruten vessels that sail the Western coast of Norway year-round. Laura Bly

Hurtigruten, Norwegian for "fast route" and formerly known as Norwegian Coastal Voyage, has been operating ships along the country's fjord region every day since 1893. Thanks to the moderating influence of the Gulf Stream, Norway's coastal waters even far north of the Arctic Circle remain free of ice year-round. Laura Bly

The Midnatsol calls at 34 ports on the 12-day round-trip between Bergen and Kirkenes - including Vardø, shown here. Sailings and ports of call experienced at night on the northbound voyage are seen during the day on the return and vice versa. Laura Bly

One of the Midnatsol's most unusual - and most delicious - shore excursions is a "king crab safari" offered from Kirkenes. Participants take a boat to watch crabs being hauled from pots anchored deep in the fjord, then enjoy an all-you-can-eat feast at a rustic fishing cabin. Laura Bly

The new, starkly moving Steilneset Memorial in Vardø, designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor and the French-American artist Louise Bourgeois, is dedicated to the victims of witchcraft trials held here during the 17th century. The memorial is an easy walk from the Midnatsol's dock. Laura Bly

During Hurtigruten's early days, its ships carried mail and other cargo to areas difficult to access by land. Today, they still serve as a convenient way for locals to travel from point to point - including this young boy, whose aunt was seeing him (and his antlers) off on a trip to visit his father four hours away. Laura Bly

Watching cargo being loaded and unloaded at each port - from electronics to vintage wooden skiffs - is a popular activity among Hurtigruten passengers. And calls are often brief - as short as 15 minutes. Laura Bly

Passengers gather on the top deck of the Midnatsol for ringside views of the Trollfjord, a narrow, steep-sided inlet to which Hurtigruten ships often make a scenic detour, weather permitting. Laura Bly

Crossing the Arctic Circle is always cause for celebration, with ceremonies that differ depending on which direction the ship is headed. The southbound version, shown here, includes a spoonful of cod liver oil followed by a chaser of cloudberry liqueur. Laura Bly

The excursion desk on the Midnatsol, where excursions are offered in Norwegian and English (other languages are offered as necessary). Though many port calls are short, passengers can rejoin the ship at a port further along the route. Laura Bly

Chef Anders Gøransson demonstrates how to peel -and eat - a just-caught shrimp. It was part of a catch delivered to the Midnatsol by a local fisherman earlier that evening as the ship sailed to Tromsø. Laura Bly

The Midnatsol's 24-hour, self-service cafe offers a la carte items (a shrimp salad plate costs about $12) and is available to both full-cruise passengers and those using the ship for point-to-point transportation. Laura Bly